Rate

steady rate

Babies don’t grow at a steady rate. They grow in fits and starts.

own rate

Throughout my teaching I’ve always let my students work at their own rate.

tremendous rate

The car was going at a tremendous rate as it passed us. It must have been doing over 150 kilometres an hour.

present rate

If the numbers of pandas continue to decrease at their present rate, they be extinct in ten years.

average rate

Most of us walk at an average rate of about 5 kilometres an hour.

this rate

We’ll be lucky if we get there by midnight at this rate! Can’t you go any faster?

go rate

What are people usually paid for this kind of work?

>I’ve no idea what the going rate is.

concessionary rate

We offer special reduced rates for students and pensioners. These concessionary rates are also available to the unemployed.

variable rate

Please note that our rates are variable. If you make a call during peak hours, it is charged at a higher rate.

flat rate

We charge a flat rate of 2$ per hour for internet access, unlike some companies which charge you double before six pm.

exchange rate

I need to change these pounds into dollars. What’s the current exchange rate?

interest rate

Interest rates are at their lowest for 40 years.

inflation rate

There has been a further fall in the rate of inflation this month.

hourly rate

The hourly rate for hotel and restaurant workers can be as low as 4.50$. that’s not enough to live on.

success rate

She is a highly-paid lawyer because she has a high success rate in the cases she handles.

dropout rate

The university has a very low dropout rate. Only 2% of students fail to complete their courses.

crime rate

He argued that the crime rate would be reduced if the police were armed, but few people agreed with him.

heart rate

You attach this machine to your finger and it measures your heart rate.

survival rate

With new medicines, the survival rate for people who have this disease is now an amazing 92%.

divorce rate

The divorce rate has risen steeply in recent years as more and more women have the financial resources to support themselves.

death rate

In Southern Africa the death rate from AIDS is getting worse and worse.

birth rate

The national birth rate remained static for a decade, then it started to fall steadily as the standard of living increased.

 

Notes

• Note this expression:

Figures published today show another rise in the rate of unemployment.

• We talk about ‘high’ and ‘low’ rate of something:

We put the low crime rate in the area down to good policing.

• We talk of bank rates, interest rates, hourly rates and daily rates.

Banks have increased interest rates by half of one per cent.

• We talk about birth rates, death rates and infant mortality rates.
• In the UK ‘rates’ something means local taxes. For example: water rates.